Highly efficient isolated AC/DC power conversion technique

Abstract

An AC-to-DC power converter that is capable of generating a regulated, isolated DC voltage output from a power factor corrected AC voltage input with improved efficiency. The AC-to-DC power converter is a two-stage power converter including a PFC stage connected in series to a power conversion stage. The PFC stage performs power factor correction using a zero current switching technique, and the power conversion stage includes a zero voltage switched half-bridge converter. The power conversion stage includes a transformer for providing the isolated DC voltage output. The AC-to-DC power converter includes a single feedback control loop for transferring error information from the DC voltage output to the PFC stage, thereby obtaining regulation of the DC voltage output.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] N / A STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT [0002] N / A BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] The present invention relates generally to AC-to-DC power conversion techniques, and more specifically to a technique for providing a regulated, isolated DC output voltage from a power factor corrected AC input voltage with increased efficiency. [0004] AC-to-DC power converters are known that employ power factor correction techniques to assure low input harmonic current content. For example, a conventional two-stage AC-to-DC power converter comprises a first voltage regulator stage connected in series to a second voltage regulator stage. The first voltage regulator stage includes a power factor corrected front end operative to receive an AC power input, and to convert an AC voltage to a high level regulated DC voltage. The second voltage regulator stage comprises a DC-to-DC power supply section operative to receive the high ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006] In accordance with the present invention, an AC-to-DC power converter is provided that is capable of generating a regulated, isolated DC voltage output from a power factor corrected AC voltage input with improved efficiency. In one embodiment, the AC-to-DC power converter is a two-stage power converter including a first power factor correction (PFC) stage connected in series to a second power conversion stage. The PFC stage is operative to perform power factor correction using a zero current switching technique, and the power conversion stage includes a zero voltage switched half-bridge converter. The zero current switching of the PFC stage and the zero voltage switching of the power conversion stage reduce the power requirements and improve the efficiency of the AC-to-DC power converter. The power conversion stage includes a transformer for providing the isolated DC voltage output.

[0008] By providing a zero current switched power factor correction front end followed by a zero voltage switched isolation converter, AC-to-DC power conversion can be achieved with reduced circuit size and complexity, reduced power requirements, and improved efficiency.

Problems solved by technology

The conventional two-stage AC-to-DC power converter described above has drawbacks, however, in that the multiple control loops associated with the first and second stages significantly increase the complexity of the power converter, thereby increasing both the size and cost of manufacture of the overall circuit.

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